Giant US retailer Walmart has reportedly filed a host of patents that could potentially change the way consumers shop in-store for good.
According to Gizmodo, the technologies in the patents will not only change the consumer shopping experience but will also be able to more accurately measure and keep track of inventory. It has been reported that one of the patents is related to Walmart wanting to create a ‘smart’ shopping trolley that can connect to your mobile device. Through this, you can keep track of a shopping list, be automatically driven through the store to the correct product aisles, and more. In this way, Walmart will also be able to track the products in the cart, which can ultimately help the accuracy of inventory checks. 
It is not the first time the retailer has toyed with the idea, in June 2016 they announced a collaboration with robotics company Five Elements Robotics. But now it is reported that they are officially filing for patents on this type of technology. Since a recent slump in its profits, Walmart has been trying to compete with online retailers such as Amazon and eBay. With this smart function, Walmart hopes to rival its online competitors by enhancing its in-store offering. A spokesperson for the company reportedly shared with Gizmodo that this move will help revolutionize the shopper's experience, not only at Walmart but for most traditional bricks and mortar retailers. In addition to the ‘smart’ shopping carts, the patent also outlines a drone assistant which will be able to help ‘provide assistance to the user in the form of price verification or navigation assistance’, and will allow for greater shopping personalization. Not before long, the autonomous tech will see cashier-less shopping, similar to Amazon’s plans. Is fully autonomous in-store shopping experience the way to go? Tell us in the comments box below.
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